MADISON, Wis.–Midway through a practice earlier this week, Josh Gasser walked in and pulled up a chair on the sidelines, a few feet away from where University of Wisconsin men’s basketball coach Bo Ryan was standing at midcourt.

As the Badgers prepared to take on Northwestern — a game No. 19 UW would win easily, 69-41 on Wednesday night in Evanston, Ill. — Gasser split his time conversing with his teammates and listening intently to Ryan’s instructions.

The junior guard has had a front-row seat all season as the Badgers have exceeded expectations despite losing Gasser to a season-ending knee injury in late October.

Anyone who has witnessed how competitive Gasser has been during his first two seasons at UW knows how much he’s felt like ripping off his knee brace and checking into the game at times during a season he’s spent rehabbing.

“It’s kind of like, which is tougher?” Gasser said. “Seeing us play so well (in a 71-49 victory Sunday over) Ohio State, knowing that I’m missing out on that? Or seeing us play (poorly) against a Florida (earlier in the season), knowing that I could help out a lot?

“It’s tough either way, but it’s good to see us winning games.”

Rehab is tough, too, but Gasser has — in the words of team athletic trainer Henry Perez-Guerra — “attacked this the (same) way he plays basketball.”

Gasser, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a preseason practice on Oct. 27, underwent surgery in early November and is about 3 1/2 months into the rehab process. Perez-Guerra says Gasser’s progress “has just been excellent.”

Six days a week — and sometimes seven — Gasser shows up at the Kohl Center ready to do whatever Perez-Guerra asks. If it’s a day the Badgers are practicing, Gasser will show up two hours before practice so he can get most of his rehab done before heading to the court to watch his teammates.

He joins the Badgers for some sessions in the weight room, eats meals with them and sits on the bench during home games. It’s all part of a plan to keep Gasser as connected to the Badgers as possible, which didn’t require much arm-twisting because Gasser has always been a locker room guy who enjoys the camaraderie of being on a team.

“He’s been doing a lot of the rehab around the players, so they see how hard he’s working even though he doesn’t get a chance to play,” Ryan said. “He’s a very likable guy and a good leader, so the fact that he’s still around helps.

“I really like his attitude. It was really tough there those first two weeks, but he’s persevered and he knows other people have gone through this, so he’s going to try to be another example of a guy that makes a comeback.”

It helps that Gasser isn’t going through this alone. He has been joined in rehab by AnnMarie Brown, a sophomore forward on the UW women’s basketball team, and a male cheerleader. Both are also recovering from torn ACLs.

Gasser says the highlight of the last four months was the day he ditched his crutches. UW junior guard Ben Brust, Gasser’s roommate and good friend, remembers lying on his bed that day when he heard a knock at the door.

“The last person I expected was Josh,” Brust said. “I remember that made my day because he was up and moving. He’s doing all he can, and that’s all you can ask as a teammate. He’s supporting us and he’s trying to get better because he knows he’s going to be important for us in the future.”

One of the best signs for Gasser is it has become easier to bend his leg without pain. Lately, he’s been jogging on an underwater treadmill and doing some jumping in the pool in addition to work on the Stairmaster and stationary bike.

Perez-Guerra is a big believer that no two athletes heal the same way — “therapy’s not a cookbook, in my opinion,” he said — so he’s constantly reminding Gasser to temper his expectations and not rush the process.

Gasser needs to be reined in at times because of his competitive nature, but he’s ultimately put his trust in Perez-Guerra and University Hospital orthopedic surgeon Dr. Ben Graf, who performed the operation.

“I don’t need to rush back at all. I’ve got a full year,” Gasser said. “It may take that long; it might not take that long. I’m just going to make sure I’m 100 percent.”

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